Randstad created an agile approach to hiring that’s fit for the future of the business,
while being simple, engaging and fun for candidates.

Here’s how Sova helped them do it.
 

Randstad is a global leader in the HR services industry and the largest recruitment agency in the world. Active in 38 markets around the world, they help millions of candidates to find a meaningful job with one of their 200,000 clients every year. Sova worked with Randstad’s UK & EMEA team for this project, whose talent acquisition function assesses 5,500 candidates across 15 countries each year.

“Our motivation was to become completely agile in our recruitment processes - we needed a solution that was fit for the future of our business. One that would enable us to get to market faster and accelerate time-to-hire, allowing us to be fluid in motion across the board.”

Jenna Alexander, Global SVP of Internal Talent Acquisition, Randstad Sourceright

Randstad’s talent acquisition function strives to be at the leading edge of innovation and future proof their hiring process. This was accelerated by 2020’s pandemic, when global lockdowns led Randstad to rewrite the rule book and create a new approach to how they recruit talent for their own business.

"The goal of this project was to improve our talent agility through quicker access to the talent market, instilling learning behaviours in the process, and providing a first-class experience for external candidates and employees."

Jenna Alexander, Global SVP of Internal Talent Acquisition, Randstad Sourceright

Challenge

Randstad needed a talent acquisition process that was not hindered by business changes, or shifts in the economy. Randstad’s Jenna Alexander, Global SVP of Internal Talent Acquisition, explains, “Our motivation was to become completely agile in our recruitment processes - we needed a solution that was fit for the future of our business. One that would enable us to get to market faster and accelerate time-to-hire, allowing us to be fluid in motion across the board.”

Secondly, they wanted to ensure their process was accessible regardless of personal, business or global events. “We needed to make sure that we energised our existing recruitment process and made virtual interviewing fun and engaging, so that candidates felt the true nature of our culture without physically meeting us,” adds Jenna.

Candidate feedback has been extremely positive. The candidate having more control and visibility on where the process is at is being seen as a standout feature, especially versus our competition in the market. Overall, I am a happy hiring manager and having worked for the business for 14 years, Sova is a clear step in the right direction.

Matt Godwin (MIRP CertRP), Regional Director of Teachanywhere, Central Perm Team, Central Delivery Team, Candidate Sourcing Team at Randstad Public Services

Solution:

Randstad required a new assessment solution to fulfil 4 key objectives:
 

1. Improve the experience for candidates and hiring managers so that Randstad’s recruitment process is simple but engaging, innovative but fun.
2. Offer a developmental experience where candidates acquire new skills throughout the process, those who accept a role have a clear development plan, and unsuccessful candidates are given valuable feedback.
3. Ensure that the competencies being assessed are relevant to Randstad’s business both for now and for the future.
4. Give insight into diversity in the business and use this data to plan development and internal talent mobility.
    

Why Sova?

Randstad’s recruitment team selected Sova to deliver a fully virtual and scalable end-to-end recruitment solution. Sova was chosen because of the candidate and hiring manager experience and advanced reporting.

The Sova platform allowed Jenna and her team to keep the process simple and engaging. Candidates land on an interactive homepage where they access content, meet the talent acquisition and management team, and take their assessments – including customised interviews and a virtual assessment centre. All assessments are scored based on Randstad’s own competency model.

It really came down to our partnership with Sova. When we started partnering with, Sova in 2020, the approach and the partnership the Sova team was just phenomenal. The camaraderie, the meeting of minds, it was all there. It made sense.

Jenna Alexander, Global SVP of Internal Talent Acquisition, Randstad Sourceright

Outcome

Sova solution partnered with Randstad to create an agile approach to hiring that is fit for the future of the business.

Candidate and hiring manager experience:

“It was easy to navigate. Candidates log on and the system leads them through the process. There’s no ambiguity, you are not having to read tons of context in order to figure out how to move from step A to step B,” Jenna explains.

The new process provides a personalised experience for each of Randstad’s talent populations: rising talent, professionals, and leadership. The brand experience is consistent across all levels, yet the process and competencies are tailored to each job level and role.

Employee experience:

The impact on the Randstad’s wider people experience can be seen in Randstad’s NPS scores, which between Q3 2022 and Q1 2023 saw:

• A 10% increase in score to 51.7
• Promoters increase by 6% to 59%
• Detractors decrease by 12% to 7%

Improved diversity:

Randstad now collects diversity data to help build a more diverse workforce, across teams and roles which is guiding training schedules and internal talent pooling.

Improved accuracy:

There are early indicators that Randstad’s skills-based approach is getting the right people in the right roles. For example, they saw a decrease in attrition from 30% in 2021 to 24% in 2022.

Plans for the future:

The lessons learned from updating Randstad’s in-house processes are now being used to transform recruiting for Randstad’s own clients. Since the initial rollout in 15 countries, the team is now looking to implement the platform across all markets in which Randstad operates, so that the firm’s clients can use the platform as part of the global tech stack that Randstad offers to its clients. This would mean a global partnership between Randstad and Sova.

Finally, Jenna looks towards the future:

 “Our goal is that within 12 months we will have an organic, fluid and ever-evolving approach to how we assess external talent, that we will provide agility and learning to our existing employees, and that our approach is fit for purpose. Ultimately, if we get this right, if our clients get this right, we will ensure a first class, best in class, future-proof inclusive recruitment practice.”